


reluctantly in love

by minerva_sama



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, minerva is touch-starved, sorano is clingy, they are more compatible than they'd want to admit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:15:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29947098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minerva_sama/pseuds/minerva_sama
Summary: A misunderstanding causes Minerva and Sorano to agree to pretending they are dating because they both refuse to see Yukino sad or disappointed. It might not be the best idea they have ever had, all things considered... [rating will change]
Relationships: Angel | Sorano Aguria/Minerva Orland
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	1. ONE

“You’re annoying,” Minerva mumbled under her breath, stubbornly refusing to even glance at the woman sitting next to her.

The offended sound that answered her words did little to make her mood better.

“Because you think you’re a breath of fresh air, maybe?”

Every time she heard that voice, it merely served to grate her gears and rub her just the wrong way. If Minerva had made no attempt against Sorano’s life, it was _only_ because she liked Yukino too much to allow for the girl to lose her _precious_ older sister again.

On days like this one, trying to become a better person seemed to have more disadvantages than anything else. Maybe she could hit Sorano a little while nobody was looking. It wouldn’t hurt her all that much, just a little punch… Minerva turned her head to look at the woman sitting next to her – too close to her for someone who always complained about her company, but Minerva had long decided to stop trying to find logic in anything the other woman did.

“You’re both here?”

The soft voice made both women look up. Yukino stood there, in front of them, her usual smile on her lips. And as Sorano melted at the sight of her sister, Minerva could only roll her eyes.

“Is something the matter?” Minerva inquired, noticing Yukino’s nervous stance.

“I wanted to talk to you, actually. The two of you.”

Minerva and Sorano exchanged a silent look before looking back at Yukino. What could possibly be going on? Was it going to be another one of her shy attempts at asking the two of them to go with her to accomplish a request? Minerva didn’t say a word though, preferring to let her friend take her time with whatever she had to say – she was well aware that Yukino always worried she would say or do the wrong thing, so letting her breathe until she was ready was the best course of action. And for once, Sorano apparently agreed.

“I don’t want you to pretend that you’re friends just for my sake.”

Heavy silence fell between the three women.

“Please,” Yukino added, her cheeks blushing the slightest bit.

Minerva blinked. That was the last thing she could have expected. When had Yukino figured out that they couldn’t get along? Minerva was sure that they did a decent job of hiding their contradicting personalities and petty arguments whenever Yukino was around. It wasn’t even something that she had agreed to do with Sorano; it had become some sort of silent agreement between them. Had they just been fooling themselves into thinking that they were sneakier than they really were? Surely, Sting or Rogue would have— Minerva sighed. No, neither of those two idiots would have warned her that Yukino was onto their little game. They loved teasing her way too much.

“I’m sorry, Yukino.”

Sorano was the first one to speak up, and she had the decency to look ashamed and genuinely sorry, something that Minerva didn’t think she could manage.

“I’m glad you know. It’s a relief that we won’t have to pretend anymore,” Minerva said, offering Yukino a small smile. “I’m sorry if we made things uncomfortable for you.”

Yukino shook her head.

“It’s okay. I get it.” As she spoke, the blushing tinting her cheeks spread to all the way to the tip of her ears. “You’re both adults, after all… So, if you can keep things professional at the guild, it’s really no problem at all.”

Minerva frowned. Something here was off.

“I can keep things professional! Anything for my precious little sister!”

Minerva’s frown only deepened as Yukino kept smiling awkwardly at them. This was not normal. There was no way sweet Yukino didn’t mind the two of them not getting along. Something was _definitely_ off.

“Rufus is waiting for me; I should go before he decides to leave without me.”

Yukino stepped around the table separating them to give her sister a quick hug.

“And you know, you could have just told me from the start. I would have been happy,” Yukino started to explain as she took a few steps away from Sorano. “You both deserve to be loved.”

And with that, Yukino waved her goodbyes to the two of them. Each step Yukino took closer to the doors brought Minerva and Sorano closer to a realization that neither of them wished to reach.

When the doors closed behind Yukino, both women looked at each other, the horror on their face all too obvious to the guild members around them.

“She thinks we’re dating?!”


	2. TWO

“To think she’s supposed to be the smart sister…”

Minerva still couldn’t believe that Yukino would assume she was dating her sister. She might understand a stranger thinking that she was dating Rogue, or maybe even Sting, but one of her closest friends thinking that she would date _Sorano_?

“Are you trying to say I’m dumb?”

With a roll of her eyes, Minerva turned her attention back to Sorano.

“I’m saying that Yukino is the smartest out of the two of you.”

At the words, Sorano puffed her cheeks and pouted for a second before regaining the composure she usually had around Minerva – the opposite of what she showed her baby sister. Was Minerva the only one who got to see that side of Sorano? The one that undoubtedly belonged to Oracion Seis. To _Angel_ rather than to Sorano.

“I hate you,” Sorano muttered in annoyance, standing up from the bench they had been sharing for much too long now.

Minerva scoffed. If that was the best Sorano could do… She sighed and shook her head. She needed to remain calm and avoid creating unnecessary arguments. Separating herself from the woman she had been under her father’s grip remained her goal. And Yukino, while misunderstanding her relationship with Sorano, _did_ ask the two of them to be professional. When had it become a habit for everyone at the guild to be so mindful of Yukino and her feelings? Maybe when she had slapped Sting?

As Sorano left her to head for the swimming pool, Minerva watched. And from the corner of her eye, she could spot several other members watching— _staring_ at her body. Minerva wasn’t stubborn enough about her dislike of the woman to try to deny that she was attractive, that would have been entirely futile. And the provocative outfits Sorano favored were something that the men (and not just the men, really) of Sabertooth seemed to enjoy a lot. Too much, possibly. It seemed that many forgot her past as an extremely dangerous and powerful mage, too distracted by a deep cleavage shoved into their face.

Minerva never forgot though. Could never forget how similar their paths had been. Could never forget that she had had it much easier than Sorano after all she had done. Maybe it was the reason that she couldn’t stand spending time with her, the constant reminder and guilt. She almost laughed at herself.

Of course, it wasn’t that. Sorano was just bratty and obnoxious and noisy.

Before she saw him, Minerva felt Sting sit down next to her, just where Sorano had been moments ago. What was it with people sitting down so close to her without asking for permission first?

“Another argument with your girlfriend?” he questioned, and Minerva could hear the all too obvious pleasure he was taking.

“Don’t start that, Master Crybaby. And stop listening to my private conversations.”

Sting grinned at her.

“Yukino actually told me she thought you were dating Sorano,” he started to explain, “and like a good Guild Master, I told her that she should confront the two of you about it!”

“Why didn’t you just tell her that we weren’t dating?” Minerva couldn’t help rising her voice, catching the attention of too many members in the process.

“And why didn’t you do it yourself, Princess?”

Rather than acknowledge Sting and give him the reaction he wished for, Minerva got up. She needed to get away from this mess. Any other day, she might have gone for a swim, but with Sorano there, she would never be able to relax. A stroll downtown would have to do.

No matter how long she had lived in the city, it had never become a territory that felt familiar to her; she had spent years only going from home to Sabertooth without bothering to explore more than a handful of streets that weren’t on the way. She had never taken the time or thought that it was worth it to explore the city. Minerva knew where the best magic shop was, knew where to get clothes that fit her, knew where the most renown restaurant in the city was. She had, until very recently, felt like it was more than enough – especially when she used to spend more time on missions than in town.

Since coming back to Sabertooth, she had learned to spend more time around the people who cared about her. Sting and Rogue had tried most of the restaurants of the city with Lector and Frosch by their side and Yukino had a few favorite coffee shops and stores that she had been all too happy to recommend to her.

The city, while remaining somewhat of an uncharted territory, had become much more familiar over the past year. And it had been enough to help with her sour mood.

Still, Minerva couldn’t wait to find the comfort of her apartment again; taking a long, warm bath was exactly what she needed right now.

But the second she placed her hand on the door handle of the small building she lived in, Minerva could sense that something was off. She tried her best to push aside the feeling; after all, she had a couple of neighbors, one of them being a young man who enjoyed female company a bit too much – maybe it was just today’s conquest whose presence she felt.

“I’m home,” she called out of habit as she stepped inside her apartment, even if her stupid cat didn’t really care about her existence unless it was dinner time.

“Welcome home, honey!”

Minerva froze in the entrance of her home. That voice. A shiver ran up her spine.

“Sorano.”

The woman waved at her.

What was happening? What was that woman doing here? And how had she even gotten here in first place?

“Get out.”

“Nope.”

“Get out before I throw you out the window.”

“We need to talk.”

Minerva rolled her eyes. She had absolutely no desire to listen to Sorano.

“About Yukino,” Sorano added.

While the urge to just throw Sorano out of her apartment and _accidentally_ hurting her was hard to resist, Minerva slammed her door shut.

“You have two minutes.”


End file.
